SUNDERLAND aren't out of the relegation woods just yet, according to Jordan Henderson.

An unbeaten March has hauled the Black Cats 10 points clear of the drop zone and sent confidence surging through red and white veins.

But Sunderland have two tough away games against Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Liverpool to contend with over the next five days and Henderson has scotched talk that they are safe. “We’re in a better position but I don’t think we should relax just yet,” he said.

“We’re closer to the top half of the table again but we shouldn’t get carried away yet.

“It’s important that we keep winning games and finish the season strongly.

“We want to make sure of our place in the Premier League as quickly as possible and finish higher up the table if we can.” That will not be easy against Martin O’Neill’s Villa – one of a clutch of teams eyeing a lucrative top four place.

After drawing with battling Wolves on Saturday, Villa are desperate to make up lost ground. And with Sunderland not having won a game on their travels since the opening weekend of the campaign, it will be a stern examination of their vastly improved form.

“We haven’t won away since the first game of the season so that’s one of our targets,” Henderson said.

“Villa are a great side. They’ve got quite a young, exciting team and I expect they’ll stay in the race for fourth until the end of the season.

“We’ll have to be right on top of our game if we’re going to get anything, but on our day we feel we’re a match for most teams in this division.

“We’ve played some good football recently and I think we’re benefiting from having most of the squad fit. We’ve started games well and looked particularly strong in the first half, but we need to go and put together a 90-minute performance down at Villa.”

The 19-year-old is hoping to play a part against Villa after stepping up his comeback with impressive substitute appearances against Manchester City and Birmingham.

“I think I’m getting closer to my full fitness and the ankle is feeling very strong again,” he said.

“It was good to get 45 minutes against Birmingham and I just hope we can have a strong finish to the season.”